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Forwards coach Matt Proudfoot says the competition building at hooker bodes well for the Boks, writes CRAIG LEWIS in Durban.

After missing out on the June Test series due to injury, Malcolm Marx returned to fitness and form during the latter stages of Super Rugby, and has now slotted back into the Bok squad ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener against Argentina.

Although Marx has featured in just 14 Tests, he is widely regarded as currently the world’s best hooker, and it will be an obvious choice for him to reclaim the No 2 jersey for the upcoming clash at Kings Park.

However, this should take nothing away from Bongi Mbonambi, who performed with aplomb in the first two Tests against England, while Akker van der Merwe added real impact off the bench.

Suddenly, the Boks have three high-quality, locally-based hookers vying for game time, while veterans such as Chiliboy Ralepelle, Schalk Brits and Bismarck du Plessis are not completely out of the mix.

The Bok management team has spoken extensively about the desire to continue building the depth of the squad with the World Cup in mind, and there certainly appears to be a surplus of quality options at hooker.

When fronting up to the media in Durban on Tuesday, Proudfoot said it was an especially healthy position to be in.

‘Malcolm is a very special player and a very humble man. He sets such high goals for himself that he can actually become fixated on any small mistake. So sometimes we have to just tell him to back himself because he’s such a great player, and we want him to be in a good space.

‘Having said that, in the two Tests we won back in June, Bongi also really showed his quality … We really want to get to that level of competition in our squad, and to keep building on that to ensure we’re in a good position when the World Cup comes around.

‘The good thing is that we are now coming up against really tough opposition, and one of the ultimate tests for any pack of forwards is most definitely when facing Argentina. I like the competition that’s building between Malcolm and Bongi, and it’s exciting for me to now also work with a player like Akker, who is a bit different to the two of them, and who can add a different spice to it.’